Rowan

Chapter Twenty Eight

I don't know how but I'd forgotten just how much I love these characters omg. Rowan, the King, Sage, Todd ALL OF THEM. I missed them. I hope you all enjoy it! I also apologize for updating so late and hope I didn't disturb anyone's sleep haha. (On a side note I WAS PRODUCTIVE. 1800 words roughly for my nano story and 1400 for this one)

Chapter Twenty Eight

"Do you have enough supplies?" I asked, to which she replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Do I need to remind you, the both of you, that this is not my first time journeying outside of the castle? This is my job and I am more than capable of doing it. Focus on your part of the plan. That is where the risks lie, not within my part," Shaterria explained.

She was going off to spread the rumors throughout the closest towns. Rumors were a disease humans continuously fed, most caring none for the person the disease attacked. They would feed it until it burst, twisting and altering into something other than its true form. By then, it had spread, growing larger and larger. Today, we were counting on all of this to happen.

"Good luck," I murmured, Sage remaining silent but tilting his head in her direction. She returned the nod, briefly saying goodbye before she mounted her horse and rode off. All that was left was for Sage and me to do our part.

I had decided that it would be best to leave Todd locked up in a room for a bit. I had chosen the King's room seeing as it was the largest, leaving room for Todd and had sunlight filtering through the windows. However, I knew it wasn't a fit situation for him and could only hope that this would all be over soon so Todd could return to nature.

We were eating in silence, knowing we would need most of our energy. We had fixed toast, eggs, sausage, and biscuits which were all the supplies we'd gotten in our haste. So it seemed that was what we would be eating for the next few days. Or the next few weeks.

Once we finished eating, we cleaned before heading outside and finding the building where all the tools were kept. Together, we grabbed the sacks of screws and nails, hammers, barrels of planks of wood, and many other items making sure to haul as much as we could into the castle. By the time we finished, the tool shed was almost empty.

We thought it would be best to begin with the front of the castle. We boarded up the windows, Sage locking all the rooms with the skeleton key he had. To be sure, we boarded up the rooms as well because it would create enough noise to be heard if someone tried pulling back the wood rather than unlocking a door.

This was our daily routine few several days. We would eat, work, eat, and sleep just to repeat it all over again. We had grown used to it, managing to do so faster and more efficiently as time passed by.

Sage and I talked little while this happened, yet the silence was comfortable. When we did talk, it was about the King or our lives. I learned that Sage had a younger sister he had adored and used to have a lover whom he loved. They had left the castle, as well as leaving Sage. He had contacted them but over the years they had stopped responding. He hoped that when the King's name was cleared, he would be able to contact his sister in hopes of reuniting with her. I silently agreed, hoping that his sister would come visit him.

I told him about my mother, a woman that my father had loved with all his heart. They had cherished one another, even their bickering loving somehow. I told him of how they would walk through the forest together while I tagged along behind with a family dog that had long ago passed away. I told him of the miscarriage my mother had and how after she'd gardened her worries away until she herself wilted and disappeared. I told him that she was part of the forest now, singing with the birds and howling through the wolves. He told me that given that, he could understand why I held so much love for my forest.

When Sage and I finally finished, all the rooms were locked and barricaded, along with all the windows downstairs. We had blocked the halls with objects large enough that they were impossible to subtly get by and you were only able to do so by creating noise. The one doors left alone were my room, which Sage, Todd, and I were sharing at the moment, the castle's entrance, and the hallway to the King's room, and the King's room.

"Do you think it will be enough?" Sage and I were sitting on the floor of our shared room eating dinner. Todd's head was resting on my knee, his eyes flickering quickly between Sage and me, waiting for the moment we looked at him. If we did, his head would raise the slightest in hope. I had shared part of my meat with him and he was convinced one of us would do so again.

"It has to be. There are no other options," Sage grunted, a displeased expression etched onto his face. He was worried that our plan would not work either. I did believe there were flaws, too many almost. However, he was right. There was nothing else we could do short from attempting to bust the King out ourselves.

"And if we succeed?" I looked at him, not understanding his question. His eyes were now on me, studying my reaction. "What will you do if we succeed?" he repeated, clarifying.

I shook my head slightly, wondering what he could possibly think I would do. "What do you mean? I will return home-"

"But you have not finished what you were assigned to do. The King is not tamed." I frowned at his quick response.

"And how are we supposed to know the King is tamed? There are no guidelines to this, Sage. Is he not technically tamed now? He's changed for the better. If you continue going outdoors with him and socializing, all will be fine," I explained but he did not seem to approve yet.

"And if the King turns into a wolf once more? Or what if he loses control?" he questioned and I exhaled sharply.

"I did what I could, Sage. I will stay for a bit longer but I do not feel I can do more. I work with animals. I cannot fix a man's temperament," I said softly and Sage laughed.

"We are running in circles, Rowan. I have explained to you that it is an unyielding woman who craft's a man's heart." I narrowed my eyes, remembering the last time he had spoken those words. We had been much less friendly.

"Perhaps it is not the King that needs an unyielding woman. Perhaps it is you who needs one," I said, laughing. Sage did not notice but his own temperament was in need of fixing as well.

He looked at me, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "Are you going to be the woman to do so?" At the simple question, my laughter ceased and color stained my cheeks. He chuckled at my response, saying nothing more as he returned to his food as if nothing had happened.

Before the night ended, Shaterria returned, bringing supplies along with her. We put them away, explaining all we had done and updating her.

"And your journey?" Sage asked her once we finished, leaning against the wall. I stood nearby, both of us looking at her. She smiled briefly, nodding.

"It went well, although it was difficult at first. Many did not want to hear the words of a dead man's messenger. When I was finally able to talk, they listened. I told that the child was still living within the castle walls and would soon rule them. They questioned me of course but I was able to answer as vaguely as possible. Word traveled fast. By the time I visited the last town, old servants were making claimed of hearing cries from the King's room. Some even believed that they had seen the child or heard the King talking to one."

I sighed in relief, satisfied that had gone well. However, the difficult part was yet to be done. We had boarded up the castle and we had spread rumors of the King producing a secret heir to the throne. Yet, now we had to wait.